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Church organizations come together to map European migration

Posted Jan 19, 2016

An image from the cover of Mapping Migration, published by the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches.

[Anglican Communion News Service] A new publication that brings together first-person accounts with theological and sociological studies into migration in Europe has been published by the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches. Mapping Migration is a revised and updated edition of three bodies’ previous joint study and explores challenges and changes in the European church landscape in light of international migration.

“This updated study contributes to a better understanding of migration and diversity in European societies and churches,” said CCME general secretary Doris Peschke. “We hope this work will cultivate more adequate responses to migration.”

The study has been prepared by missiologist the Rev. .Darrell Jackson and sociologist .Alessia Passarelli. Mapping Migration combines theological interpretation, sociological accounts, and the voices of migrants themselves. It it articulates both the experiences of migrants and how they shape and build church communities in Europe.

Father Heikki Huttunen, the CEC general secretary, said that “Migration provides opportunity to welcome the stranger and uphold the dignity of every human being.”

The study has been released to coincide with the WCC/UN high level conference on the refugee crisis in Europe which is currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland. “With accessible theological reflection, user-friendly infographics, and compelling first-hand accounts, Mapping Migration is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of the life of the churches with trends in migration,” the CEC said in a statement.

The general secretary of the WCC, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit welcomed the study, saying: “The timely new edition of Mapping Migration will support the vital work of European churches in the present crisis.